The conversation between Arasaka Sesen and the others didn't last long before it was interrupted by the sound of a door opening in the loung
The conversation between Arasaka Sesen and the others didn't last long before it was interrupted by the sound of a door opening in the lounge.
A man dressed in a black longcoat stepped inside.
He had dark gray hair tied into a bun and sharp brown eyes. His neck had been replaced with cybernetic components, the metallic plating intentionally exposed—a contrast to his natural skin tone. His frame was lean and solid, giving off a distinct sense of refined strength, like that of an elite soldier.
Kenichiro Ken's expression tensed the moment he saw him.
He hadn't expected this man to appear.
His name: Goro Takemura.
A fairly ordinary-sounding name—until you worked for Arasaka. Then, it meant everything.
Takemura was Saburo Arasaka's personal bodyguard. His status was on par with Ken's role for Michiko, or Chiyoda's for Haruko. In fact, his very presence here signaled something far more ominous.
If Takemura was here, then Saburo Arasaka's influence was, too.
Now it made sense. Saburo had never trusted Sesen. The reason he allowed him to come to North America at all... was because he had already deployed his contingency plan.
That plan was Goro Takemura.
A man capable of directly conveying the will of Arasaka's emperor.
"Goro Takemura…" Kenichiro Ken said aloud.
Takemura gave him a glance and a slight nod—nothing more than a minimal form of acknowledgment.
"I come… on behalf… of Lord Saburo," Takemura said, hands clasped behind his back.
"I am here… to retrieve… the special personnel."
"…Why does he talk like that?" Oliver whispered over the comms.
"Sounds like he's reading from a script. Probably not fluent in English," V replied, eyeing Takemura closely.
"But this guy gives off serious vibes. Kinda like Kenichiro. Another elite bodyguard, maybe?"
"Did you not hear him? 'On behalf of Lord Saburo'? That's gotta mean he's Saburo's man. And if he's his bodyguard—no way he's weak," Jack muttered, hand subconsciously curling into a half-fist.
There was something terrifying about Takemura's presence.
Even compared to Adam Smasher, Jack felt this guy radiated more pressure.
It wasn't about raw power—Smasher was a walking tank, a loaded shotgun you knew would blast you to bits.
But Takemura?
He was like a blade still in its sheath.
Quiet. Cold. Deadly.
The kind of threat that kept you wondering when it would strike.
At least with a shotgun, you'd know how you died.
But a sword like Takemura?
You'd never see it coming.
Jack had gone toe-to-toe with Smasher before. Given the choice, he'd rather do that again than face off against Takemura.
In the midst of the rising tension, Karl broke the silence over the team's private channel—chuckling.
"Heh… I just realized something kinda funny."
While he could sense how strong Takemura was, Karl's attention had landed on something else.
"Saburo, Kenichiro, Goro… That's three '-ros' in a row. Sanrō, Shirō, Gorō. Now we just need an Ichirō and a Jirō to complete the set."
"…"
The rest of the squad was speechless.
How did Karl always find the weirdest angles at the most inappropriate times?
While the team whispered on comms, Takemura's intent to retrieve the "special individual" on Saburo's behalf hadn't yet been answered by Haruko—because Arasaka Sesen spoke first.
Casting a sidelong glance at the watchdog sent to monitor him, Sesen sneered:
"Michiko hasn't even arrived yet. The person isn't here. What's the rush—trying to fetch your master's bones like a good little dog?"
A sharp jab, delivered with casual venom.
Takemura's expression shifted subtly—but he didn't respond.
He simply looked at Sesen, then stepped aside without a word.
His posture and silence made one thing very clear: He was here to carry out a task.
Everything else—petty insults included—was irrelevant.
"Humph."
Sesen scoffed, saying no more.
The lounge, which had briefly warmed thanks to Haruko's reunion with her great-uncle, fell into a chilly silence again.
Haruko looked between Takemura and Sesen.
After a moment of hesitation, she gave Takemura a quiet greeting.
Though they hadn't interacted much in Kyoto, he had still looked out for her in his own way.
She then sat down near Sesen.
Takemura's eyes flickered slightly in response to her greeting.
After she sat, he gave her a small, polite bow.
He had no words for Sesen.
They were enemies.
If Lord Saburo ordered it, he'd eliminate Sesen without hesitation—this so-called "traitor" to the Arasaka family.
But Haruko was different.
Takemura had a family of his own, but he'd spent most of his life in service to Saburo.
His time around Haruko far outweighed the time he'd spent with his own children.
Whether he meant to or not, he'd come to care for her—perhaps more than he should have.
And now, seeing her again, she looked healthier, brighter, more free than she ever had in Kyoto.
If Lord Saburo could see her like this… he'd feel the same relief I do.
As the thought passed, Takemura noticed the black-haired young man who had been standing beside Haruko earlier.
The man was looking straight at him—and then, with a slight smile, spoke.
"Takemura… that surname sounds familiar.
Are you related to Maki?"
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